S^J 



TliE THOyiCAL AGRICULTURIST, 



f/UNE I, 1886, 



Ou thinking over the matter on iny way to 

 Colombo, I tieterminet) to have a sample of the 

 Templeatowc tea, if I uouUl get o]ie, tested by my 

 friend Mr. Oaldecott Smith, in whose judgment 1 

 have great confidence. The agents of the estate 

 were kind enough to give me samples, and yester- 

 day, they were tested by my friend, who pro- 

 nounced the color of the leaf, and the strength of 

 the liquor to be as near perfection as possible, 

 and he added that "no tea equal to it in quality 

 had in his opinion been sold in Colombo for si.v 

 months." 



A well-known, and hilarious tea expert hap- 

 pened to run upstairs, whilst the samples were 

 drawing. I seized him by the collar asid in- 

 sisted upon his giving his opinion on the im- 

 portant points. He concurred with Mr. Smith. 



It is extremely gratifying lo me to find the first 

 working of the "Flue Drier" in the Central Pro- 

 vince has fallen into the hands of so careful and 

 intelligent a Manager as Mr. McCausland. I have 

 no doubt as favorable results will be obtained by 

 the experienced tea-makers on "Moray," "New 

 Brunswick" and " (jallamudena," where "driers" 

 are being put up. I was unable to visit these 

 estates when 1 was in Dimbula, as the distance to 

 walk was rather beyond my capability. When 

 these and several other "driers" which have been 

 applied for are completed, the ijuestion whether 

 great economy and efficiency in tea driers cannot 

 be combined, will be definitely settled. 



I should mention when watching Mr. McCausland's 

 people making tea, I was struck with the appar- 

 ently large c|uantity of fermented leaf put on each 

 tray : more, I think, than we are accustomed to 

 put on each tray. No doubt, tho process of dry- 

 ing is prolonged, but the question naturally presents 

 itself whether slower tiring is not rather a good 

 thing ? On Templestowe time was no object ; all 

 I know is thai whether it was wither, or the 

 ferment, or the slower firing, a very beautiful tea 

 ■was made. — Yours truly, C. SHAND. 



CBOTON OXL PLANTS AND CATERPILLARS. 



Dumbara Valley, 1st May 1886. 

 Dsiv, Sin, — I have seen the same thing as Mr. 

 Jardine describes. In this case the caterpillars had 

 eaten off every leaf and had been caught. The 

 croton plants appeared to be quiet dead, but they 

 have since come round and are now flourishing. This 

 18 une reason why I always disliked crotons as 

 shade for cacao. ' F. W. CtK-^-Y. 



THE DETERIORATION IN TEA. 



Demi Sib, — If an unprofessional may hazzard an 

 opinion as to the lessened value of Ceylon tea ! 

 what say you to leaves being plucked too young, 

 before they have any pronounced flavour, and the 

 tea being tired before sufKcient fermentation has 

 taken place? Perhaps it is these defects which cause 

 our tea to be shut out of the American and 

 Australian markets where it is said the middle and 

 lower classes complain that it will not stand a 

 second water. VERB. SAP. 



[The real objection is its quality and consequent 

 price compared with rubbishy China. — Eu.J 



TEA PACKING. 

 Sir, — Touching the agitation about corrosion to 

 tea lead, I would ask, is the lead packing allowed 

 to touch the wood case? 



The Chinese paste paper on the lead packages 

 they use. Is tliis done in Ceylou? and if not, 

 why should it not be tried?- Yours, 



HONG KING. 



CROTONS AND CATERPILLARS. 



Haputale, 3rd May 1886. 



Deak SiK,— Mr. Jardiue in your paper of 2ntli ult. 

 records a visitation his croton-oU trees have had, 

 I regret to say he is not the only one whose 

 trees have been so attacked by caterpillars. 



An army of them paid a visit to one of my 

 croton clearings during the last week of November 

 188-1, and devoured every leaf, blossom and fruit 

 on many of the largest trees, and would have 

 soon gone over the whole clearing, but that coolies 

 were at once put on to shake the trees and gather 

 the fallen enemy from the ground. 



As November of last year advanced a careful watch 

 was kept, for the approach of the expected visitors 

 and from their first appearance, about the ■22nd 

 of the month, an- average daily force of .55 able- 

 bodied coolies at work for five consecutive days 

 shaking the trees and gathering the caterpillars 

 were unable to stamp them out before they left 

 the greater of two clearings, as if they had been 

 exposed to a week's sharp frost. The trees, how- 

 ever, soon renewed their foliage and are now loaded 

 with fruit and flower. It is proposed that the 

 attack in November of this year shall be from 

 our side before the enemy arc fully armed for 

 destruction. — Yours truly, J. W. 



A POUND of bananas, it is said, contains more mitri- 

 ment than 31b. of meat or as many pounds of potatoes, 

 while as a fond it is, in every sense, superior to the best 

 wheateu bread. It is not generally understood that 

 bananas frucl, baked, or roasted are lery appetizing, 

 and that sUced and placed in a dish, with a Iternatc 

 slices of o-ange, they make a most delicious dessert. — 

 Qiteeiislandcr, 



Opinio:* of an Expert on Uva Tea. — I have 

 liquored the sample of Uva tea sent me. The 

 character of the leaf is hard and leathery; fairly 

 well rolled, color good, fermentation equal, rather 

 underlired, liquor strong and pungent, a hard 

 rasping tea well adapted for mixing, value about 

 one shilling — your sample may be considered for 

 first or early making, good. My opinion of Uva 

 tea is that it will be generally characterised as a 

 strong pungent tea, if you wish to get a high 

 flavored tine tea you must pluck very fine. 



Natal Tea i-ok the London ExmsmoN. — 

 The exhibits are as follows : — 



J. L. Hulett, Kearsney Estate, Nonoti. — Show 

 cases of syringa wood containing teas, as follow:" 

 — 18 lb. pekoe souchong, 18 lb. pekoe souchong 

 1'', lil lb. "pekoe D, 17 lb. pekoe, 25 lb. pekoe A. 

 21 lb. golden pekoe, 16 lb. flowery do., and 1!) 

 lb. pekoe. 



A note to this consignment says ; — This estate 

 produced and placed in the market the 1st 500 lb. 

 of tea grown in Natal, season 1881-82, from seed 

 imported by the Lower Tugela Division Planters' 

 Association, from Calcutta, with the advice and 

 assistance of Mr. J. Brickliill, of the I'mbilo, who 

 had previously successfully imporled a few Assam 

 hybrid plants. In Natal there are 282 acres under 

 cultivation in Victoria County, 20 in Durbnn County, 

 70 in Lower Umzimkulu district and about 200 acres 

 are being prepared for next season's planting. 



The yield per acre is exceedingly large, viz. : 

 Within H years, 200 lb. dry tea. 

 f ,. 400 „ 



5 „ 600 „ 



6 .. 800 .," 



We should doubt exceedingly SdO lb. beiny oblaincd 

 save over a few acres under sucli cultivation 

 0,6 will scarcely pay. 



